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Bush Tries to Sell Missile Defense Plan During European Tour
Visiting US President George W. Bush said Tuesday in Madrid that he would explain the missile defense plan advocated by Washington to U.S. allies and Russia.
At a press conference after his six-hour talks with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, Bush said Washington does not regard Russia as an enemy and that the anti-missile project would be a major topic during his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bush said that explaining the project would be one of the major objectives of his first European tour since he took office in January.
Aznar said he was pleased to hear directly Bush's explanation of the plan. When Bush first advocated the project, the Spanish prime minister had asked the United States to have dialogues with its European allies and warned Washington "not to trigger a new round of arms race."
Bush said he believed Aznar "had understood" the plan. According to U.S. officials, talks between leaders of the two countries proceeded "very well."
While welcoming the opportunity for "candid" exchange of views on world environmental issues when leaders of the European Union meet at Goteborg Summit in Sweden next month, Bush reiterated US rejection of the Kyoto Protocol.
He said Washington would stick to its position, arguing the global warming treaty was "fatally flawed" and would damage the US economy. As Bush made his case at the press conference, some 500 people staged a peaceful demonstration at the U.S. embassy in the Spanish capital to demand the U.S. government abandon its stand. Earlier, environmental groups and trade unions in Madrid staged similar protests.
Bush arrived here on Monday for a 24-hour visit. He signed with Aznar a joint communique on bilateral relations and world issues of common concern.
While furthering the exiting bilateral ties, the two countries would sign a new defense pact to ensure greater role of the U.S. military base in Spain, the communique said.
The United States and Spain signed in 1988 a military accord on the role of U.S. military base in the country, which is still effective.
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